RIVER FALLS Police Department Reports

The following incidents were reported to River Falls Police Department Nov. 12-29.

Friday, Nov. 12

Police were notified of a vehicle vs. deer crash at 5:44 p.m. on northbound Highway 35. Kimberly Suzanne Mathis, 56, Ellsworth, was driving a 2014 Ford Focus when she struck a deer. Mathis wore a seat belt and reported no injuries. The car was towed due to disabling front-end damage.

Tuesday, Nov. 16

At 8:04 a.m., a caller reported items stolen from a vehicle parked in the driveway at 108 N. Winter St. sometime after 11 p.m. Nov. 15 and before 7:55 a.m. Nov. 16. The caller stated someone took a bank bag containing $485 in cash and $141.50 in checks from her unlocked vehicle. The money was supposed to be deposited in the River Falls Sportsman’s Club bank account. Video surveillance obtained in the area of 1038 W. Maple St., where another theft had been reported, showed two suspects checking for unlocked vehicles.

At 8:57 a.m., a parent reported to the school resource officer the theft of his son’s Apple Wired AirPods during gym class the previous day. His son had left them on the gym bleachers at 7:35 a.m. when class began. When he went to retrieve them at 9 a.m., they were gone.

At 3:36 p.m., police took a call from Positive Alternatives (2860 Williams Ave.) staff regarding a juvenile runaway who had not been at the facility since Nov. 12. However, the juvenile was going to school every day, including being present at 8 a.m. Nov. 17 (the next day). Staff said they’d work with the juvenile’s social worker to figure out a solution.

Wednesday, Nov. 17

At 9 a.m., a teacher approached an officer at Meyer Middle School (230 N. Ninth St.) and reported a student missing from class. Police saw the student and another student on video surveillance go downstairs toward the gym locker rooms. The officer and principal searched downstairs and found them in a secluded area. They said they were skipping class. On one a student, a “Loon Maxx” vape was found, as well as a “Smok” vape. The student told police one of the vapes belonged to the other student. One juvenile was cited $73.60 for minor possesses or purchases tobacco/nicotine (first offense) and sent home with a parent. The other juvenile was cited $98.80 for minor possesses or purchases tobacco/nicotine (third offense). Both students also received school consequences.

On Nov. 17, a River Falls High School student was cited for habitual truancy. The student had been truant seven times between Sept. 24 and Nov. 9.

At 2 p.m., a teacher notified the school resource officer that they’d witnessed a student going through backpacks in the girls’ locker room, and that she’d taken out a pair of blue AirPods from a backpack not belonging to her. The teacher told the student to put them back. After escorting the student to the office (who was supposed to be in a different class on the opposite side of the building), the teacher had other students go through their backpacks. Another student was missing AirPods in a pink case (valued at $130) and $15 in cash. When confronted, the suspect was combative and swore continuously. Staff suspended her for the rest of the week and the officer took her to her residence. During the ride, the student threatened to punch a staff member in the face upon her return. The case was referred to Pierce County Juvenile Court.

Officers responded to a two-vehicle crash at 3:20 p.m. in the parking lot of Family Fresh (303 S. Main St.) between a legally parked 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe, owned by Kristi J. Nelson, 50, River Falls, and a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee, driven by Sydney Ann Johnson, 16, Hudson. Nelson was parked in a parking stall, and Johnson was turning westbound to park in a stall when she struck the rear driver’s side corner of Nelson’s vehicle. Johnson said she thought she was going slow enough to make the turn. Both drivers wore seat belts and reported no injuries. Both vehicles had minor damage.

At 4:23 p.m., a Positive Alternatives (2860 Williams Ave.) staff member reported a runaway juvenile. The juvenile had last been seen near Heritage Park. On Nov. 19, police learned the juvenile had posted photos of herself with two other juveniles on Instagram, though the location was unknown. Police recognized the male juvenile, but not a second female juvenile. They were unable to track the missing juvenile down, though multiple attempts were made.

Thursday, Nov. 18

At 9:06 a.m., a resident reported items stolen from a vehicle parked at 1073 E. Cascade Ave. sometime between 6:30 p.m. Nov. 15 and 6 a.m. Nov. 18. Someone took a cell phone Bluetooth charger, cell phone vehicle stand and $5 in change from the unlocked vehicle.

Dayna Ann Cossetta, 32, River Falls, was arrested at 10:58 a.m. at 513 S. Wasson Lane for St. Croix and Pierce County warrants. She was taken to Pierce County Jail without incident.

Police responded to a minor hit-and-run crash at 3:30 p.m. at Kwik Trip (1238 N. Main St.) between a legally parked 2008 Chevrolet Silverado, owned by Levi S. Lloyd, Maiden Rock, and an unknown black SUV that left the scene. Witnesses said the larger SUV was backing out of the stall next to Lloyd, when its driver’s side rear hit Lloyd’s passenger side rear, causing the bumper to bend back. The license plate of the vehicle that left was registered to Evelyn White, 18, River Falls.

Friday, Nov. 19

At 10:11 p.m., police responded to 332 Quarry Road for an unwanted and unruly person. While there, police determined it wasn’t a domestic incident, but arrested Jessie Ann Gross, 30, Prescott, for a Monroe County warrant and two Pierce County warrants. She was taken to Pierce County Jail, while the unwanted man was told to leave. Police also confiscated drug paraphernalia.

Saturday, Nov. 20

During a traffic stop for an out headlight at 2:40 a.m. on South Main Street near Cascade Avenue, police smelled marijuana emitting from a vehicle. The driver, who was cooperative, told police no drugs were in the car. During a search, police found a burnt joint in a shoebox in the trunk and a bag with leafy, green residue. Both items were confiscated and the driver warned.

At 8:15 a.m., officers were called to 305 Wesley Court for a theft from a vehicle. The complainant said she found her driver’s side door slightly ajar and the middle console and glovebox open. A Carhartt jacket (valued at $100) and a purple mask (valued at $20) were taken from the unlocked vehicle. Police interviewed potential suspects but didn’t recover the items.

At 12:02 p.m., police received a report concerning a juvenile runaway from a residence in the 300 block of West Pine Street. A mother said she hadn’t seen her 17-year-old son since 3 p.m. Nov. 18, that he’d been texting her that he was at a friend’s house by Carbone’s. The juvenile was suspected to be with another missing juvenile. At 5 p.m. Nov. 21, a resident in the 100 block of Emory Drive confirmed seeing the two missing juveniles on Nov. 19 when they came to his house. At 2:26 a.m. Nov. 23, police learned the 17-year-old had been arrested for allegedly stabbing someone in Minneapolis and was taken to Hennepin County Jail. A Minneapolis police officer said the juvenile had randomly attacked someone walking by him on the street and stabbed them six times in the back. He was arrested for second degree assault with a dangerous weapon and was being held pending adult charges.

At 8:35 p.m., officers assisted St. Croix Sheriff’s Office in executing a search warrant at 132 Vine St. in relation to a town of Hudson burglary. Three people were located inside the residence, none of whom were the burglary suspect. Police broke down the suspect’s locked bedroom door; they found and seized drug paraphernalia, methamphetamine and items believed to have been stolen in the burglary. Charges for felony possession of methamphetamine and possess drug paraphernalia were referred to the Pierce County District Attorney for Warren Scott Harer, Jr., 42, River Falls. Another burglary suspect was also identified. At 4 a.m. Nov. 21, an officer saw one of the suspects driving a white 2021 Jeep Cherokee pulling a trailer. The driver, upon seeing police, had shut the Jeep’s lights off and pulled into a driveway in the 600 block of Sycamore Street. Police saw a grill, vacuum cleaner and mattress in the trailer, all items listed as missing from the burglary. Officers also saw numerous prescription medication bottles on the front seat. The driver, Noah Wesley Garland, 35, Hudson, told police he was helping a buddy move. He was arrested and taken to St. Croix County Jail after police confirmed he was one of the suspects in video surveillance footage from the burglary site.

Sunday, Nov. 21

At 5:06 p.m., police responded to a vehicle vs. deer crash on East Division Street at Liberty Road. A 2011 Ford Edge, operated by Anthony C. Pace, 38, River Falls, struck the deer while heading east on Division Street. Pace told police he was having chest pains, so Allina EMS evaluated him onsite. He was wearing a seat belt and had suspected minor injuries. A passenger, Michelle Lea Fogerty, 35, Glenwood City, also wore a seat belt and reported no injuries. The vehicle was towed due to disabling damage.

At 4:50 p.m., police were called to 1521 W. Maple St. for a vehicle theft. The complainant said the vehicle, a 2009 Subaru Outback which didn’t have any plates, had been parked in front of 1521 W. Maple at 4:30 p.m. Nov. 19. The vehicle was unlocked with the keys inside. The owner was planning to donate it due to stalling issues; his brother later saw the vehicle parked in the 1000 block of West Maple Street. A witness said it had been parked there since 7:55 p.m. Nov. 20. The owner said he’d get the donation company to come get it as soon as possible, and removed the vehicle’s battery.

Monday, Nov. 22

Officers received a tip at 8:20 a.m. about an incident that had allegedly occurred downtown River Falls in the 100 block of South Main Street around sunset Friday, Nov. 19. A middleschool aged juvenile allegedly pulled out a surgical knife and chased another juvenile on a bike when that juvenile refused to fight. Suspects were identified and police spoke with all parties involved.

Police were called at 6:30 p.m. to 965 Lucille Court, where a resident reported one of her solar panel cords had been cut while she was gone over the weekend. No suspects were identified. She estimated the damage to be about $14.

At 7:30 p.m., an officer responded to 407 S. Wasson Lane where someone reported a package had been taken off his porch. The package had been on the porch when the resident arrived home at 3 p.m., but he didn’t bring it in right away. When he let the dog out at 7 p.m., the package was gone.

Tuesday, Nov. 23

An officer responded at 9:16 a.m. to 2306 Aurora Circle for a stray cat complaint. Police set up a live trap and eventually caught the cat around 11 a.m. They took it to the police department, but while an officer was transferring it from the department kennel to travel carrier, the cat escaped.

Police responded to a two-vehicle crash at 10:56 a.m. at West Division and Main streets between a 2014 Ford F150, driven by Jacob Jay Gjelhaug, 27, Roberts, and a 2001 Ford F250, driven by Hayden John Reil, 20, Hammond. Both vehicles were heading eastbound on Division Street, with Reil behind Gjelhaug. Reil thought Gjelhaug was moving forward and struck the rear of his truck. Both drivers wore seat belts and reported no injuries. Gjelhaug’s truck had minor damage, while Reil’s had none. Reil’s driver’s license was expired, so he was cited $124 for operate without valid license.

At 3:09 p.m., police were called to Positive Alternatives (2860 Williams Ave.) for a juvenile who left without permission. Police located her on County Road M near Liberty Road and transported her to RFPD. The juvenile was upset with staff and chores at the residence. Staff said she had been making homicidal statements to staff all morning. They agreed to call police if the situation escalated.

At 5:42 p.m. an officer responded to BP (700 N. Main St.) for theft of vaping items. An employee reported a group of kids stole the items around 4 p.m. One juvenile distracted employees while another juvenile reached behind the counter and took an unknown number of items. The juveniles used an employee’s phone to call their mother, so police were able to track them down. Police also identified the three juveniles via video surveillance. A 10-yearold was cited $92.50 for retail theft – intentionally take and Pierce County Child Protective Services was notified.

Wednesday, Nov. 24

Officers responded to a vehicle vs. stop light crash at 7:29 p.m. at highways 29/35/65 and Cascade Avenue. A 2000 Chevrolet S10, driven by Calvin Atanga Marucha, 35, Brooklyn Park, Minn., was traveling north on Highway 35/65 at the Cascade Avenue intersection. Marucha said he was plugging his phone into the charger, deviated from his lane, drove onto the raised median and struck traffic signal post, causing it to break and fall into the roadway. The vehicle had disabling damage. Marucha wore a seat belt and reported no injuries, but was fined $111.40 for inattentive driving and $98.80 for deviating from lane of traffic.

Thursday, Nov. 25

At 12:37 a.m., police responded to 110 S. Main St. (Nutty Squirrel Saloon) for a disturbance in progress. A complainant reported a man had struck a woman in the nose, causing her to bleed. When the man fled, the complainant (a witness) chased him and pinned him down at Second and Walnut streets. She sat on his back until police arrived. After several witness interviews, police arrested Cory David Schmitz, 42, River Falls, for domestic disorderly conduct. Both parties were heavily intoxicated.

At 6:47 p.m., officers again responded to Nutty Squirrel, this time for an unwanted person who was highly intoxicated, possibly under the influence of other substances and refused to leave. Police located and arrested Douglas Lee Hultman, 53, River Falls, for a probation violation. Hultman bond conditions required him to maintain absolute sobriety; he registered a 0.17 PBT.

Friday, Nov. 26

A Holiday employee reported a gas theft of $19.90 at 8:12 a.m. Employees provided a license plate number and said the man had come into the store but left without paying. Officers tracked him down heading north on Highway 35 and performed a traffic stop. The driver, identified as Tyler Nicholas Ingel-Lasch, 25, Hudson, said he had attempted to get $20 from the ATM at Holiday, but his card was declined. He told police he had no other money on him, so he gave a Holiday employee his name and license plate number and asked that they bill him. Employees said Ingel-Lasch never spoke to anyone and they don’t “bill” people. Police told Ingel-Lasch that he had to pay for his gas that day or risk a citation. Police returned to Holiday at 9 a.m. Nov. 27 where employees confirmed Ingel-Lasch never returned to pay for the gas. Fraud on gas station and felony bail jumping charges were referred to the district attorney.

Officers responded at 10:10 p.m. to Emma’s Bar (222 S. Main St.) for an intoxicated woman yelling at the complainant and following her around. Police located the suspect in the alley behind Emma’s. Jayda Jo Suchy, 20, Prescott, admitted she had been drinking with friends and handed police a metal flask containing vodka. She had no answer for why she was yelling at people. She registered a 0.27 PBT and was cited $313 for underage drinking/possess (second). Police transported her to Kwik Trip and released her into a sober person’s care.

Nicholas J. Fugate, 25, River Falls, was arrested for possession of THC after a traffic stop for an out headlight at 11:41 p.m. at West Walnut Street and Riverwalk. Police found a baggie of marijuana in a backpack and a half-full Spotted Cow beer in a cup holder.

Saturday, Nov. 27

At 11:23 a.m., police were called to 320 N. Second St. for a vehicle break-in. Someone had entered an unlocked vehicle, which had been parked in the lot since noon Nov. 24, and taken about $10 in change and rifled through the glove box. The 2022 registration stickers were taken from the glove box and the contents scattered across the floor.

Police spoke to a complainant at 1:37 p.m. about a stolen vehicle, that had been taken around 1:10 p.m. while it was warming up outside 523 W. Elm St. The 2003 Ford Focus had been idling for about five minutes when it was taken. The complainant had recently purchased it for $2,800. The vehicle was quickly recovered and returned to its owner, who found a backpack inside it that didn’t belong to him. Police had found the vehicle after being called at 2:07 p.m. to 311 Foster St. to check on a distraught woman, who was crying while crouched between two cars in the garage. A complainant said the woman had walked through her house at 249 Foster St. not long before, appearing confused. She said she was looking for her boyfriend. It was determined the woman’s father lived at a residence in the 1100 block of State Street, and didn’t know how she’d gotten to the residences on Foster. She also didn’t know how she’d obtained a set of keys, a sunhat and a religious flag. Through investigation, police learned she had heard voices and became afraid at her residence in the 100 block of Pearl Street, walked out her back door and apparently gotten into the idling vehicle belonging to the first complainant. Police found the vehicle parked in a lot in the 200 block of Foster Street. Because of the odd behavior, the woman wasn’t arrested and remained with her father. Charges may be referred.

At 10:36 p.m., police provided mutual aid to St. Croix County deputies at Relander Drive and Carlson Lane for a vehicle crash with an unresponsive man slumped over in the vehicle. Police located a Dodge Ram that had crashed into a yellow pole and telephone pole. A man was lying face down over the passenger seat. The man was identified as Andrew Douglas Clare, 35, River Falls. Police saw blood on the driver’s seat and a sheath with no knife in it. Clare also had a blood-soaked shirt and dried blood on his left hand. When EMS removed him from the vehicle (he had a faint pulse) to place him on a stretcher, a filet knife fell out from under his body with blood on the blade. It was not clear at the time what exactly occurred. Police kept the scene secure until more county deputies could arrive.

Monday, Nov. 29 Jossel Perdomo Jr., 19, River Falls, was cited $187 for possession of THC after a traffic stop for an out passenger side tail light and high mount stop light at 12:33 a.m. near Second and Walnut streets. When police pulled him over, they smelled marijuana and saw several drug paraphernalia items in plain view.

Police responded to a two-vehicle crash at 1:57 a.m. on Main Street near Veterans Park between a 2014 Dodge Caravan, driven by Steven Nicholas Kenny, 57, River Falls, and a 2015 Buick Enclave, driven by Gerald Lee Brown, 79, River Falls. Kenny, who was behind Brown, rear-ended Brown’s vehicle when Brown stopped at the crosswalk for a bicyclist. Both drivers wore seat belts and reported no injuries. Both vehicles had functional damage.

Officers responded to a two-vehicle crash at 6:30 a.m. at on East Cascade Avenue at Birch Street between a 2013 Chevrolet Equinox, driven by Karen Marie Knapton, 42, Hammond, and a 2007 Lexus RS, driven by Bryan Patrick Mulrooney, 49, River Falls. Knapton said she was parking her vehicle on Cascade facing east when Mulrooney struck the rear of her vehicle. Mulrooney said he had looked down for a second at his phone. Both vehicles were towed due to disabling damage. Both drivers wore seat belts and reported no injuries. Mulrooney was cited $111.40 for inattentive driving.

At 1:21 p.m., police were called to Valu Stay Inn (708 N. Main St.) for an intoxicated woman who wouldn’t get out of someone’s van. When she finally exited the van, she tried to take the vehicle owner’s dog. Jessica Anne Martin, 42, River Falls, was arrested for a probation violation (she is supposed to maintain absolute sobriety) and taken to Pierce County Jail, where she registered a 0.317 PBT. She had to be medically cleared due to the high reading.

Police responded at 5:28 p.m. to 1550 E. Division St. for a domestic in progress. Joseph Ray Cobb, 48, River Falls, was arrested for domestic disorderly conduct and possession of amphetamine/LSD/psilocin after police found him hiding beneath the cushions on a couch in the garage. The complainant said she and Cobb had argued and she locked herself in the bathroom to get away from him, but became afraid when he kept pounding on the door. When police searched Cobb’s backpack, they also found prescription medication belonging to the complainant, who said the medication had gone missing.

At 8:18 p.m., police responded to Positive Alternatives (2860 Williams Ave.) where a teen had barricaded themselves in the laundry room and had sprayed a fire extinguisher throughout the residence. Police calmed the juvenile, who agreed to go to bed.